Track & Field

Eagles finish in first overall at Sewanee

SEWANEE, Tenn. – Finishing on a high note was a definite goal for both the Carson-Newman men and women's track and field teams, who each took first-place overall at the Sewanee Indoor meet.

"The coaching staff had a checklist of things we wanted to get done today: win the meet, earn personal best marks, improve our region standing, break school records, and get ready for nationals. We did all of them," coach David Needs said.

The highlights of the meet are endless, with at least 12 athletes finishing in first-place in their respective event(s).

In women's field events, Tiana Mills dominated in the women's long jump for the second week in a row, with a leap of 5.22m. Samantha Grudger, Kristen Chapman and Gabrielle Fewell followed in second, third and forth-place, respectively. Mills also earned second-place in the women's triple jump, after an 11.20m leap into the pit.

Tori Gaul (Salisbury, N.C.) earned first place in the women's pole vault. In women's high jump, Chapman's 5' 5" jump gave her first-place. Jessica Azor and Grudger earned second and third-place in the same event, respectively. Azor also finished in third-place in the women's shot put after her 34-foot throw.

In men's field events, TJ Davis (Ooltewah, Tenn.) dominated in the pit, earning first-place in both the men's long jump and triple jump. Sophomore Jason Williams finished in second place in the men's long jump after a leap of 6.69m.

Tanner Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.) once again finished in first-place in the men's high jump with a 6'10.75" jump. Randall Freeman earned first in the men's shot put after a 42-foot throw.

In women's sprinting events, Shauntae Miller finished in first-place in the women's 400-meter dash after a 1:01.39 finish. Gaul finished in third-place. Fewell finished in third-place in the women's 55-meter dash. Freshman Hannah Greene earned third-place in the women's mile run, and sophomore Sara Honaker finished in third place in the women's 3000 Meter Run.

In men's sprinting events, senior Darius Childs finished in first-place in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.11. Jason Williams earned first in the 55 meter dash after a 6.61 second finish. Anthony Jackson earned third-place in the men's 800 meter run, and junior Matt Rust finished in third-place in the 200 meter dash after a 23.57 second time.

Both the men and women's 4x400 meter relay teams finished in first place, respectively in the final event of the evening.

"We had several teachable opportunities today and our team responded. It was a great way to see our the team segment of our indoor season end," Needs said.

Each of the Eagles teams finished the meet in first-place. The women earned 175 points in 14 events, and the men 151 points in 15 events. To say they ended on a good note would be an understatement.

The Eagles head to Birmingham, AL for the NCAA Division 2 Indoor Track and Field Championships in two weeks.